The rapid ascent of art generated by artificial intelligence (AI) has shaken the creative industries. While many have emphasized copyright infringement concerns associated with AI-generated artwork, not all artists oppose the combination of AI and their intellectual property.
Grimes, a Canadian musician and producer has tweeted that she will regard AI creators using her voice the same as other artists with whom she collaborates. Grimes wrote that she would like to “split 50% of royalties on any successful AI-generated music” containing her voice.
I'll split 50% royalties on any successful AI generated song that uses my voice. Same deal as I would with any artist i collab with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty. I have no label and no legal bindings. pic.twitter.com/KIY60B5uqt
— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) April 24, 2023
Grimes stated that she does not have a record label and, consequently, “no bindings” to any significant entity in the music industry that could cause intellectual property rights issues. The artist continued by stating that she finds it “cool to be fused with a machine” and supports open-sourcing art, thus “killing copyright.”
She continued by stating that she is “curious” about what creators can do with the technology and that she is “interested” in being a “guinea pig.”
In the initial tweet, Grime shared an article about the recent outcry over AI-generated Drake and Weekend songs circulating online. Universal Music Group emailed all primary streaming services on April 13 to prevent artificial intelligence from accessing its catalogs for learning purposes.
The company has stated that it will not hesitate to defend its rights and those of the artists it represents.
In a separate statement from Grimes, she revealed that she is creating a voice simulation program along with a team of developers, which will be made publicly available.
We're making a program that should simulate my voice well but we could also upload stems and samples for ppl to train their own
— 𝖦𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾𝗌 ⏳ (@Grimezsz) April 24, 2023
However, AI-generated deep fakes that use the images and voices of real people are already causing significant ethical concerns and difficulties.
A German tabloid recently generated a mock interview with former Formula One driver Michael Schumacher using artificial intelligence. Concerns are circulating even within the companies producing the technology, as reports have disclosed that Google employees are concerned about its forthcoming AI chatbot.